Time to retire?

[Bri w]

Originally planned for a couple of years back but put on hold courtesy of economic crisis.

The dilemna.

Go at the end of the year and buy the little house in southern Italy.

Go in a couple of years time and buy the bigger house with the olive/fruit grove.

Stay on till 65, and hopefully have a bigger pot(not belly) for a very lazy but shorter retirement.

Added wrinkle, I love my job BUT know that it isn't the B-all.

[Stu]

Originally Posted by Bri w

I love my job

answered

the day you wake up and hate the idea of going into the job you loved is time to leave, stick about a bit longer till ya cant be arsed with it, then leave to grow spagetti trees

[BanannaMan]

Originally Posted by Bri w

Go at the end of the year and buy the little house in southern Italy.

Go in a couple of years time and buy the bigger house with the olive/fruit grove.

Stay on till 65, and hopefully have a bigger pot(not belly) for a very lazy but shorter retirement.

Which option is what you really want?
You love the job so all 3 are viable options.
20 years from now which will have been the right choice?

Me I would go till the end of the year and buy a little house to retire in, but I could be happy with that. Not everyone would be.
In the long run what's going to make Bri and Mrs. Bri happy?

Bri, I,like yourself considered my options and went for early retirement.My decision was based on medical grounds but even more than that the fact that like aged colleagues were dropping like flies around me. The number of people I have known who have carried on to"Increase the pot" and not lived long enough to enjoy it is unreal.
Okay I may have tightened my belt a little and changed my lifestyle but I get along in a fair degree of comfort.

Bills become a lot less and if you have already got your house and car it is surprising how Little you actually need to live on when you don't have the expenses involved in going to work.

The one thing I would advise is be careful how much money you have in the bank as Mr Tax man will still want his bit of wedge.Spend your money on the material things you want before you retire.

Go for it mate and live to enjoy it.

I'd go as soon as poss, you don't need lots of money to have an enjoyable lifestyle.

[timwilky]

I would love to retire early, but not enough in the pension kitty, I can understand why some of my colleagues bought land in the far east whilst working there with the intention of retiring to a low cost warm climate. (Oh and with plenty of local women to love them long time)

it all depends what you and mrs bri want to do really. if you can afford to jack it all in and go live in the sunshine i'd do it!

a friend of my dads retired for 6months whilst in his late 50's but found himself so bored over winter, he went back to his IT based job 2/3days a week. where over the summer he goes down to like 1 day or maybe a couple of afternoons just to keep himself ticking over. i dunno if that situation would be possible in your work? could you wind it back a bit see how you enjoy your free time?

but i'd def want to make the most of it while you can, remember thats why you've worked so bloody hard over the past fews years!

if you can go now go-there's a guy i work with who is in the same boat as you, decided he was gonna stay on, went for a routine health check up and ended up having major lifesaving surgery-he's decided that he's now gonna go and enjoy his pension cause who knows whats round the corner.if you've done your bit your more than entitled to enjoy the fruits of your labour.

[keith_d]

My ideal would be a gradual phasing out of work over a couple of years. Four days a week this year, three days a week next year, then retire.